http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/ Engadget Comments for TiVo fighting FCC over CableCARD, Verizon's FiOS service http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/http://www.1-satellite-tv-facts.com]]>Mar 31st 2008 9:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/Oct 19th 2006 2:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/
Another point of contention, imho, is that as a newcomer Verizon is starting from scratch and as such it should be easier for them to implement Cable Cards from the start. They aren't re-engineering material, they should have been sourcing it this way from the start.]]>Oct 19th 2006 2:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/
The FCC says all cable companies need to use CableCards in their set top boxes. A cable card is a signal encryption device that is removable (Like a SIM card in your phone). The point of this would be that if everyone from 1st partis (like Comcast and now Verizon) to 3rd parties like Tivo and whoever used the Cable Cards to handle the encryption of the signal it would make it cheaper to manufacture the Cable Cards and easier for cable customers to choose whether they wanted a 1st party set top box or a 3rd party one (which there would be more of if Cable Card takes off).

Verizon is requesting that since they're new to the market, having to comply with this and add cable card functionality to their set top boxes would slow down their rollout and that letting them introduce FIOS to more markets would save more people more money that the money their customers would save from having Cable Card in all of their boxes (boy that was a crappy sentence).

Apparenlty the Cable Card idea has been around for 10 years and the cable companies have been purpopsely avoiding implementing it. It seems the FCC is fed up.]]>Oct 19th 2006 2:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/Oct 19th 2006 2:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/Oct 19th 2006 3:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/Oct 19th 2006 2:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/Oct 19th 2006 2:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/Direct TV and Dish have the cablecards. My Sister in the UK has had one on her Saterlite TV system for about 10 years. You'd think by now that any new boxes produced by Motorolla and Scientific Atlanta would already have the cableCard slots built in, but that does not seem to be the case.]]>Oct 19th 2006 2:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/Oct 19th 2006 2:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/Oct 19th 2006 3:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/Oct 19th 2006 3:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/Oct 19th 2006 3:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/
As for Verizon arguing they are exempt because they are new is BS. The fact is they should have developed their product AROUND the standard. Unlike the other cable companies who have to migrate old users to the new system, Verizon is building their system from the ground up. Therefore, no excuse for ignoring the Cablecard standards.

As for satellite TV...they DO NOT use Cablecards. I am not sure how they got around that, but it is likely related to security concerns given that everyone has access to the satellite signal. As opposed to cable (or FIOS) where you've got to have a physical wire running to your home. A wire that the cable company can disconnect manually!]]>Oct 19th 2006 4:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/The fact that there are so many issues around CableCard and the fact that they're already talking about CC2.0 which won't be backwards compatible means I'm keeping out of Tivo S3. It's a shame, I've had a Tivo since the first of the S1's, but I'm not prepared to take a $800 or $1000 gamble and leave the fate of it to the FCC or the cable companies. I'd rather take the rented DVR from the cable company while I weigh my options. There's already competition... I could have Comcast or DirectTV and soon I could choose Verizon, so I can't justify the hassle of Tivo.
I think Tivo can see the writing on the wall which is why they're pressing the FCC. I hope for their sake the FCC sticks to it's guns, but I'm not holding my breath.]]>Oct 19th 2006 5:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/
Also, I doubt people will choose DirectTV vs Comcast based on the set top box options offered, so that is not the kind of competition they are talking about. Instead you should be able to goto best buy and get a DVR box for say $150 that does everything that $20 a month box from Comcast does, except does it well. I believe that is the type of competition they are trying to spur, so that cable companies aren't artificially inflating the prices of their set top boxes too much just because you wouldn't have any other choice.]]>Oct 19th 2006 5:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/Oct 19th 2006 6:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/
The CableCard 2.0 standard has taken too FAR long to be finalized and should have been long ago. The FCC should consider demanding it too be ready by July 2007 - WITHOUT the possibility of extension.

]]>Oct 20th 2006 1:48AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/
Pete - I see your point, CC 2.0 will be great, but I still like the idea of CableCard now, if only I could just buy a tv for under $1800 that supports it. I think it would be great for my second tv (bedroom) in a small LCD (26"-32") then all I would have is the tv, and not the clutter of the box.
I don't need VOD or all that other stuff the cable companies are trying to push for more revenue... I just want HD, and my HBO... which they just took away from me on my second tv, where I don't have a DVR box, unless I get another box.. for, of course, more money per month!]]>Oct 20th 2006 12:16AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/Oct 21st 2006 11:37AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/Jan 11th 2007 8:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/
The problem isn't Cable Cards weren't well thought out, it's that the cable companies are trying to subvert consumer's ability to avoid lock-in. So they intentionally handicapped what CC can do, and craete as many compatability problems and hassles as possible, in order to force consumers to use their proprietary boxes so that its harder to change providers.

The FCC's requirement to use CC in all set-top boxes eliminates all of the CC excuses, which is great for consumers, and which the cable companies are desparately trying to avoid.]]>Mar 10th 2007 8:09AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/Dec 26th 2007 12:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/tivo-fighting-fcc-over-cablecard-verizons-fios-service/
The solution I am seriously contemplating is getting the integrated TiVO-HD/DirecTV receiver and telling Cox to put their RG-6 where the sun don't shine.

DirecTV has its supply of warts, but in my experience with DirecTV, they are are materially less disgusting than Cox.

I did file an official complaint with the FCC on the matter,
for whatever good that will do.

]]>Jan 15th 2008 8:26PM